Curtain-fixture.



G. H. PORSYTH.

CURTAIN FIXTURE.

APPLICATION FILED MAILS, 1905.

928,91 O. j Y PaenaJuly 20, 1909.

Inllllll f/ 165 15 16a/16 GEORGE H. EoRsYTH,

PATENT OFFICE@ OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CURTAIN-FIXTURE.

specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 20, 1909.

Application led llatch 6, Serial No. 248,688.

To all whom 'it may concer/rt:- Y Be it known that I, GEORGE H. FORSYTH, a

l citizen of the United States, residing at Chilpull of the curtain-roller. v My invention has for its principal vided at its lower end with a curtain-stick carryin spring-pressed heads or shoes adapte to frictionally engage the sides of the casing or grooves therein to hold the cur- `tain at any adjusted position against the the production of an improved and simplilied fixture of that class wherein springvpressed elongated heads onl the ends of the' curtain-stick carry rollers adapted to 'engage the vertical side members of the window `or othercasing. Heretofore in such devices the headshave usually been provided with frictional holding devices whlch are pressed into peripheral holding engagement with the bottom' or side walls of grooves in the casing in order to hold the shade in adjusted position f against the upward pull ,of the curtaln-roller s Jring. yIn some cases braking devices carried by the head and `applied to the rollers under the outward thrust of the curtainstick springs have been proposed to convert the rollers from 'antbfrlction 4devices 'into frlctional holding devices.

MyI present invention is an improvementv upon this latter type, being chiefly distinguished 'by the omission of 'suchpseparate brakin devices and emV loying V in place thereo a novel manner an means of mount-` ing the rollers whereby the latter, under the thrust of the curtain-stickspring,are caused to frictionally engage laterally with a side' wall or other stationary member of the head -and,'under the braking effect thus produced,

frictionally engage the casing peripherally to ret-ain the curtain and fixture in adjusted position. l

My invention, in its preferred form,.is illustrated in the accompanying drawing,

-Figure 1 1s an elevational view, partly in vertical section, of a portion of a curtain carrying one end of the fixture; Fig. 2 is a face 'View of the head or shoe of the fixture with one of the rollers and its mounting in object 4central vertical section; Figs. 3 and 4 are opposite face views of the roller, detached; Figs. 5 and 6 are respectively end and side views of the conical journal of the roller, detached; and Figs. 7 and 8 are, respectively, face and side elevational views of a modification, wherein a single frictionizing device is employed in association with anti-friction rollers in the ends of the head.

. Referring to the drawing, 10 indicates a fragment of the lower portion of a'window or other curtain in and transversely of which is mounted the usual hollow curtainstick 1l, the latter carryingin each end a vshank 12 of` ahollow 'head 13, normally pressed outwardly by the curtain-stick spring 14. Fixed 1n the` opposite ends of the head and between the side walls thereof are journal lbearings 15 for a pair of rollers 16. The journals 15 are distinguished by having theirroller-engaging surface made conical, as shown at 15a; while the rollers are similarly distinguished by having one face thereof conically recessed or concave as shown at 16, to engage the conical convex surface of' the journal, as clearly shown in Fi 2, while the opposite plane face of the rol er is preferably roughened, as indicated at 16b A(Fig. .3) `orsotherwise treated-to produce a friction surface for coperation with the adjacent side wall ofthe head. The hole 16C, of lthe -'roller is of somewhat larger ldiameter than the diameter of the cyllndrical portion l5b of the journal engaged thereby, so that said roller can have a 11mits journal, to permit the wedging action between the conlcalsurfaces of said parts, as hereinafter described. Y Y

From the fore' oing construction itwill be seen that when t e' xture is in place in the casing theoutward thrust of the spring 14 acting through the head and through the enaging inclined or conical sur-faces on the journals and rollers will tend to crowd the head which lis a jacent to the smaller. end o'f the cone, thus producing a.4 rictional braking etfectupon the roller to retardr or a eripheral rictional holding effect of the ro ler upon the casing whlch serves to offset the u wardull of the curtain-roller spring, and t us ho ds the curtainin any adjusted position. The curtain may, however, be manually adjusted either up or down, and

ited movement-in a direction transverse to atter laterally a ainst that side wall of the l '105 prevent; its rotation, andthereby creating l this matter may be accomplished without wear on either the frictionally engaged parts of the roller, head or casing by providing the curtain-stick with the usualheadretracting pinch-handles, if desired. However, by a proper adjustment of the relative strengths ofthe curtain-roller spring. and the curtain-stick spring the device may be adapted to easy manual manipulation consistently withv a' perfect holding eect when released and without the necessity of headretracting devices.

In Figs. 7 and 8 I have shown-a modified' form of the invention, wherein the head 13 is provided centrally of its longitudinal dimension and opposite the` curtain stick with a frictionizing roller 17 provided with concave conical surfaces 17Sl on either side thereof, and an axial hole 17". This roller is mounted on a fixed spindle 18 secured in and between the side walls of the head, and of less diameter than thediameter of the hole 17h; and flanking the roller on either side are a pair of convex cone-faced bearing v members 19 and 2O lying against the `slde.

walls of the head and surrounding the spindle 18. These bearing members 19 and 2O may either be secured to the 'side walls of the head as fixed parts carried thereby, or they may be .rotatably mounted on the spindle 18 and adapted to frictionize laterally with the side walls of the head.

21 designates each of a pair of anti-friction rollers mounted in the ends of the head, and serving to facilitate the self-righting of the curtain stick when cantedor tilted from its normal horizontal position,I inthe manner well understood in the art. In this'form of the invention, as in that already described,

the outward thrust of the curtain stick spring f'creates a wedging action between' the roller 17 and the bearing members 19 and 20 which flank the same on either side. Where said members are fixed with the side walls of the' head,'the braking effect is produced by the friction generated between the engaging conical surfaces of the roller and bearing members. Where said bearing parts are r0- tatably mounted on the spindle 18, the retarding or braking effect is distributed between the engaging conical surfaces and the engaging surfaces of the bearing members land side walls, the principal friction occuring device and the frietional retarding effect ply under the thrust of the curtain-stick spring and kwithout requiring any adjunctive roller braking devices. By the terms lateral and laterally i used in this speci-` M cation and the-claimsl appended thereto, as referring to the character of the contactor engagement between the roller and the brakcreated thereby, I referto the side or Asides ofthe roller as distinguished from its periphery; and it should be understoodthatvsaid terms :do not include, and are notV intended to include, peripheral contact or engagement or vperipheral frictional retarding effect. Hence I do not limit the invention to the particular means herein shown and described for securing the lateral braking effect, except tothe extent indicated in specific claims.

I claim:

1. In a curtain fixture, the combination with a curtain-stick and a head mounted on the end thereof, of 'a movable frame-engaging member mounted on said head, and

means whereby under the thrust of the curtain-stick spring, said member is made to have lateral frictional engagement with an element of the head, substantially as .described. 2. In acurtain fixture, the .combination with acurtain-stick and a sprin -pressed head mounted on the end thereof, o a roller carried by said head, and means-whereby under the outward thrust of the curtainstick sp'ring said roller is caused to frictionallyengage laterally a fixed memberof the hea f 3. In a curtain fixture,1 the combination, with a curtain-stick and a head munted'on the end thereof', of a roller mounted on said head,Y andymeans whereby, under the outward thrust of the curtain stick spring, said roller is forced laterally into frictional en gagernent with the sidewall o f the head.

4. In a curtain fixture, the combinationy with a curtain-stick and a hollow' head 110 mounted on the end thereof, of a cone journal mounted between the side walls of the head, and a roller loosely mountedon said cone journal, substantially asand for the 'purpose described. Y I

In a curtain fixture, the combination with' a curtain --stick and a -'hollow head mounted on the end thereof, of-a'cone"o1n'- nal mounted between the sidewalls o vthe head, and a roller loosely mounted on said cone journal, said roller having a frietional surface on that side toward whlch the roller' is forced b the action of the cone journal, substantial y as described.

6. In a curtain fixture, the combination with a. curtain-stick and a hollow head mounted on the end thereof, of a journal. bearing mounted in said head 'and having a cylindrical portion and a conical portion, anda roller having an axial opening engaging the cylindrical portion of the journal and of greater diameter than the latter, and

also having a concave side Vooperatin with bearing mounted in said head and having a cylindrical portion -and a conical portion,

and-a roller havingan axial opening envgaging the cylindrical portion of the journal and o greater diameter than the latter, and also having a concaveside ycoperating with the cone portion of the bearing, the other side of said roller having a friction surface for engagement with the sidewall of the head, substantially as andfor the purpose described.

8. Ina curtain fixture, the combination of a head, of a journal bearing mounted on said head having a conical portion and eX- tending Vat right angles to the side of the head, and a roller sleeved upon the journal` and of greater diameter than the latter andv adapted to engage the base of a Window frame guideway and also having a concaved side adapted to engage over the coneportion 

